Tea and the Tea Culture of China

Since I started my major in the tea culture of China, I have been deeply impressed by its sophistication and beauty. I would like to share some fascinating aspects of the tea culture of China.

In a country with the history of five thousand years, the Chinese tea drinking habit dated back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD). It became a national tradition and led to development of a delicate tea drinking ritual. Over the centuries, poets and artists in China wrote many marvelous masterpieces, in appreciation of tea and Chinese people’s constant love of tea drinking .One of the best-known writers is Lu Yu, who was regarded as the “Tea Sage ” for he composed the first book on tea. In his classic book, he detailed his studies of tea, such as the origin of tea, tea tools, tea picking, tea cooking, tea ceremony and well-known areas where tea was grown. And the valuable knowledge he recorded has laid foundation for modern tea culture development.

Based on ways in which tea leaves are processed, there are five distinct types of tea. They are as follow: the green tea, the black tea, the Wulong tea, the compressed tea and the scented tea. Among them, may foreigners are familiar with the green tea. The Longjing tea, of the green type, has a reputation both at home and abroad. And people are engrossed in the fantastic smelling, the delicate tasting, as well as the wonderful shape.

When it comes to drinking a cup of tea, we usually invite a few friends, go to a serene place, and drink tea imbibe slowly in small sips. The popularity of tea lies not only in its good taste but also in its benefits to our health .Tea helps our body’ digestion .So, it’s part of life to drink a cup of tea after the meal. Caffeine is one of the main materials found in tea. Thus, the amazing job of tea is to refresh our mind.

Scientific studies show that tea works effectively against cancer. In recent years in China, there has been a growing trend for women to drink tea to lose or control their weight. As the old saying goes, one apple a day keeps the doctor away. With tea, I might as well to add that one cup a day keeps the trouble away.